Air-supported pavilion

ABSTRACT

An air-supported pavilion is disclosed. The pavilion comprises a net and anchoring means to anchor the net to the ground. Enclosed within the net is an envelope of substantially air-impermeable sheet material which is urged against the net by the pressure of air introduced into the interior of the envelope to maintain the pavilion in its erected state. A peripheral edge portion of the envelope is rolled-up into a bead and weighted to cause the bead to contact the ground and thereby restrain the air introduced into the interior from escaping therefrom. The pavilion is provided with passage means defining an entrance-way of predetermined height bounded by two lateral extremities of the passage defining means. Part of the bead is supported at the predetermined height by the passage defining means. The pavilion is also provided with two blocking members, each substantially closing a respective one of two gaps defined between each of the two lateral extremities and portions of the bead, which extend intermediate portions thereof supported by the ground support surface and by the passage defining means.

United States Patent n 1 Echtler 1 Sept. 9, 1975 AIR-SUPPORTED PAVILION Sigmund Echtler, Buttermelcherstrasse 9, 8 Munich 5, Germany [76] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell {57] ABSTRACT An air-supported pavilion is disclosed. The pavilion comprises a net and anchoring means to anchor the net to the ground. Enclosed within the net is an envelope of substantially air-impermeable sheet material which is urged against the net by the pressure of air introduced into the interior of the envelope to maintain the pavilion in its erected state. A peripheral edge portion of the envelope is rolled-up into a bead and weighted to cause the bead to contact the ground and thereby restrain the air introduced into the interior from escaping therefrom. The pavilion is provided with passage means defining an entrance-way of pre determined height bounded by two lateral extremities of the passage defining means. Part of the bead is supported at the predetermined height by the passage defining means. The pavilion is also provided with two blocking members, each substantially closing a respective one of two gaps defined between each of the two lateral extremities and portions of the bead, which ex tend intermediate portions thereof supported by the ground support surface and by the passage defining means.

7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 91975 SHEET 1 BF 5 Fig.2

PATENTEDSEP ems 3. 903.659

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PATENTEDSEP 9|975 3 903 659 sum 3 OF 5 Fig.5 3

PATENTED SEP 9 I975 snznuu g Fig.6

PATENTED 9l975 3,903,659

SEKET 5 BF 5 AIR-SUPPORTED PAVILION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in an air-supported pavilion having at least one entranceway.

In the case of pavilions in the form of air-supported netting halls, wall entrances for personnel for example must be sealed against the air-impermeable envelope so that compressed air produced by a blower to support the envelope does not escape at this location. In the case of the hitherto known air-supported netting halls, in which the air impermeable envelope consists of a relatively thin film, which is supported by the netting, this envelope is cut out in the region of the wall entrance and provided with an elastic intermediate piece, which yields to the movements of the air-supported hall in the case of wind effects and which sealingly connects the envelope and the wall entrance with one another. It is required for this, that a sealing connection is produced on the one hand between the envelope and the intermediate piece as well as on the other hand between the intermediate piece and the wall entrance which, in the case of personnel entrances, consists in essence of means defining an elongate channel with two doors, which are alternately opened and closed to avoid an excessive loss of air.

Since air-supported netting halls are constructed in such a manner, that a correspondingly large airimpermeable envelope is laid out on the floor and covered by a netting anchored at the floor, whereupon air is blown by a blower under the envelope in order to lift this, it is practically not possible previously to designate exactly that location at the envelope, at which the wall entrance shall be provided. One has therefore arranged the corresponding cut-out in the envelope for the wall entrance only in the blown-up state. Since airsupported netting halls as a rule do not remain set up for long periods, this difi'lculty arises frequently. After however a cut-out has already been provided in the envelope, it was hitherto always necessary again to close this cut-out, which ensued by welding in the case of films of synthetic material, in order then, when the envelope has been blown up anew, to again apply the cutout at the correct location. This is not only expensive in respect of the expenditure of effort. but can also lead to operational troubles, since the welding operations carried in the open cannot always be carried out unobjectionably on the building site during the closure of the old cut-out, so that leakages result. Furthermore, difficulties arise during the welding insofar as new film parts must be welded together with already aged locations of the envelope. These difi'lculties arise apart from the expenditure of effort, which is required to connect the intermediate piece sealingly with the film and the wall entrance.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the expenditure of effort during sealing of the wall entrance as well as also the difficulties, which result from the application of a cut-out in the envelope.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an air-supported pavilion comprising a net, anchoring means to anchor the net to a ground support surface, an inflatable envelope of substantially air-impermeable sheet material to be urged against the net by pressure of air introduced into the interior of the envelope to maintain the pavilion in an erected state, passage means defining an entrance-way of predetermined height bounded by two lateral extremities of the passage defining means, edge portions of the envelope being rolled into a bead extending peripherally around the pavilion and being supported in part at said predetermined height by the passage defining means and in part at ground level by the ground support surface, and two blocking members each substantially closing a respective one of two gaps defined between each of said two lateral extremities and portions of the bead, which extend intermediate portions thereof supported by the ground support surface and by the passage defining means. The rolled-up edge portion or bead of the enveloping sheet material, which on the one hand takes up the superfluous envelope material, since one must not dimension the size of the envelope too scantily, and which on the other hand serves for sealing against the floor, is rolled up further correspondingly to the height of the wall entrance, so that it is not necessary to cutout the envelope in the region of the wall entrance, whereby the disadvantages arising from the cutting-out let themselves be avoided particularly during the reconstruction of the air-supported hall. Since the envelope is no longer cut out in the region of the wall entrance, but the bead remains maintained, a particularly simple sealing results at the upper side of the wall entrance, since the bead is simply deposited upon the wall entrance and, preferably, additionally weighted. The rim portion resting on the ground support surface may also be additionally weighted, for example, with sand bags. On a movement of the air-supported hall by wind forces acting upon it, the scaling is not removed, since envelope material can be drawn out of the head when corresponding forces are acting.

A similar favourable scaling in the region of the wedge-shaped free regions, which must be sealed off by blocking members in the form of insert pieces, which serve to support the upwardly sloping bead of the envelope. It is possible simply to deposit the bead upon the insert pieces just as in the case of the wall entrance and to weight it.

It is however of course also possible to suspend the bead in the region of the insert pieces at a corresponding suspension construction and to provide loose, nonsupporting blocking members or insert pieces for sealing the wedge regions remaining free. Thus, it is a feature of the invention that the envelope is no longer cut in the region of the wall entrance, but that the already present rolled-up edge or bead is rolled further up.

Each blocking member may be formed in the shape of a right-angled triangle, on the hypotenuse of which is provided a trough of substantially U-shaped crosssection to receive the bead of the envelope. The trough on the triangle makes possible a secure accommodation of the bead of the envelope and the sand bags serving for the weighting, whereby the risk of the bead accidentally falling down is substantially reduced. F urthermore, the possibility is created by the trough-shape, that envelope material can be withdrawn from the bead when this should become necessary by virtue of a movement of the air-supported hall on wind efi'ect.

Preferably each blocking member comprises a triangular frame provided with a covering of air impermeable material such as the material of the envelope. This construction is simple and light and can also be fastened with such anchors as come into application for the fastening of the netting for the air-supported pavilion.

To ensure a secure retention of the bead also on top of the passage means defining the hall entrance, a trough of substantially U-shaped cross-section is provided on the passage means. This trough on the wall entrance can however be dispensed with in the case of small entrances, as they are for example required for the introduction of heated air, since the envelope together with the bead is urged by virtue of the internal pressure against the netting, which is not cut out in the case of these low wall entrances as is the case with large entrances, for example in the case of personnel entrances, in which the netting is cut out in the region of the wall entrance and the severed wire ends of the netting are received by a safety stop cable. Since this safety stop cable extends at a spacing around the wall entrance, no support for the bead and the envelope is provided in the region of the wall entrances of large dimensions, so that the trough on the wall entrance is advantageous, since it takes over this supporting function.

Since the envelope of the air-supported hall is sloping downwardly with a certain bowing in the region of the wall entrance, it is advantageous, if the blocking members starting from the support of the bead on the wall entrance are set to be outwardly sloping when seen in plan view and adapted to the natural course of the bead of the envelope to the floor. It is thus avoided, that the bead displays a crease location, which prevents a withdrawal of envelope material from the bead when due to movements of the supported hall further envelope material is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of an air-supported netting hall;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of part of the air-supported netting hall shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a view from inside towards a wall entrance of the air-supported netting hall shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the wall entrance shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a section on the line VV in FIG. 3',

FIG. 6 shows a side view of an insertable triangular member, which is disposed in the region of the wall entrance shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the triangular member shown in FIG. 6-,

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a channel entrance, which is adapted to permit heated air to pass through the wall of the air-supported hall; and

FIG. 9 shows a view in the direction of the arrow IX in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is evident from the FIGS. I and 2, an airsupported pavilion or hall 1, which consists of a substantially air-impermeable envelope 2 of synthetic sheet material and a net 3 spanning over the envelope, is provided with two passage defining means 4 and 5, of which the passage defining means 4 defines an entrance-way for personnel, while the passage defining means 5 defines a channel for the introduction of heated air into the air-supported hall. The net 3, as is evident from FIG. 3, is retained by means of anchors 6 let into the floor, which are in connection with a foot rope 7, to which the netting 3 is attached.

The edge portion of the envelope 2 of the airsupported pavilion l is rolled-up into a bead to form a first rolled-up edge portion which is weighted with sand bags. Thus, the weighted first rolled-up edge portions are pressed against the ground so as to restrain air introduced into the interior of the envelope from escaping therefrom. This rolling-up of the envelope at the floor into a bead is known and therefore not more closely illustrated in the drawing.

In order now to make possible for example the entrance-way 4, which is enlarged in the FIGS. 3 to 5, without cut-out in the envelope, the bead, which is designated by 8 in FIG. 5, is rolled-up further and the resulting second rolled-up edge portion is laid upon the wall entrance 4 in a substantially U-shaped trough 9. Due to the internal pressure of 15 to 20 millimetres of water prevailing in the air-supported hall, the envelope 2 is urged out of the trough 9 against the netting 3 in the shape of a sagging belly, whereby no stresses are transmitted to the envelope 2 when the air-supported hall moves in consequence of wind effects. Should the sagging belly of the envelope 2 between the trough 9 and the netting not suffice, then there always still exists the possibility, that envelope material is withdrawn from the bead 8.

By the rolling-up of the bead 8 up to the wall entrance 4, there arise lateral triangular regions, which are free of the envelope and must be closed to avoid undue loss of air. Serving for this are triangularly shaped blocking members or insert pieces 10, which as is evident from the FIGS. 6 and 7 consist of a triangle-shaped profile frame 11, a U-shaped trough 12 being arranged at the hypotenuse of the triangle to receive the bead 8 sloping to the floor. The triangular frame 1 l of the insert piece 10 is spanned by a film and sealingly attached at the wall entrance 4. The trough 12 for the reception of the bead 8 corresponds in its crosssectional shape to the trough 9 according to FIG. 5.

The passage defining means 4 includes a member 14 of channel cross-section which is closed at each end by respective doors l3 and at the inner end of which the trough 9 is mounted. The troughs 12 to both sides of the passage defining means 4 slope forwardly, as is evident from FIG. 4. To facilitate the construction of the wall entrance, the channel member 14 is executed in several parts and displays a frame 15, which carries the trough 9 and which is already provided with a door 13 and which is anchored at the floor after the envelope already assumes its final position by virtue of the internal pressure. Thereupon, the bead 8 is rolled up and laid into the trough 9 after the lateral insert pieces 10 are connected to this frame. The channel leading out of the hall with the external door can then consecutively be put against this frame and anchored at the floor. Hereby results a particularly advantageous construction of the passage defining means.

So that the passage defining means 4 can be extended through the wall of the hall, the netting 3 is correspondingly cut out in this region, the severed ends being attached to a safety stop rope 16, which is anchored in the floor by anchors l7. The safety stop rope l6 spans arcuately over the wall entrance-way, the insert pieces with the troughs l2 lying inside the hall and following the natural course of the head 8 sloping outwardly, since the envelope of the air-supported hall extends with a slight arching sloping downwardly to the floor. For the attachment of the insert pieces 10, an attachment frame 18, upon which a not shown attachment plate is laid and urged against the floor by means of clamping screws, which are in connection with anchors let into the floor, is arranged at the frame 11 at the pedestal thereof.

The FIGS. 8 and 9 show a wall entrance 5 of smaller dimensions, as is required for the introduction of air into the air-supported hall. Since a relatively low channel arranged to be lying is concerned, through which only air and no objects are guided, the channel is built up of two parts 19 and 20, which are flanged against one another to both sides of the netting 3 and receive the netting between them, so that it is not necessary to provide a safety stop rope. The part 20, which displays an upwardly directed blow-off connection 21, is arranged at the inside of the air-supported hall. No trough is provided on the horizontally extending channel l9 and 20, since the bead 8 is urged by the internal pressure against the netting 3, which supports the envelope 2. For sealing of the triangularly shaped regions arising due to the rolling-up of the bead 8 at both sides of the channel 19 and 20, there are provided triangularly shaped insert pieces 22, similar to the insert pieces 10, upon which the head 8 can rest. Whether the insert pieces 22 are provided with troughs or not depends primarily upon the dimensions. In the case of small insert pieces, troughs to receive the bead of the envelope are not required.

I claim: 1. An air-supported pavilion comprising, in combination:

a net; anchoring means to anchor said net to a ground support surface; an inflatable envelope of substantially airimpermeable sheet material to be urged against said net by pressure of air introduced into the interior of said envelope to maintain said pavilion in an erected state;

passage means defining an entrance-way of predetermined height bounded by two lateral extremities of said passage defining means, edge portions of said envelope being rolled into a bead extending peripherally around said pavilion and being supported in part at said predetermined height by said passage defining means and in part at ground level by said ground support surface; and

two blocking members each substantially closing a respective one of two gaps defined between each of said two lateral extremities and portions of said bead, which extend intermediate portions thereof supported by said ground support surface and by said passage defining means.

2. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein each intermediate bead portion is supported on a respective one of said blocking members.

3. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 2, wherein each blocking member is substantially triangular, the longest side of said blocking member being provided with a trough of substantially U-shaped crosssection adapted to receive a respective one of said intermediate bead portions of said envelope.

4. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 3, wherein each said blocking member comprises a substantially triangular frame provided with a covering of said substantially air-impermeable sheet material.

5. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein said passage defining means is provided at said predetermined height with a trough receiving said bead and being of substantially U-shaped cross-section.

6. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 2, wherein each said blocking member when iewed in plan extends outwardly of said bead portion supported at said predetermined height and follows the natural path of the respective one of said intermediate bead portions towards the ground.

7. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein said head is weighted to facilitate the closure of said envelope against the escape of air from the interior thereof. 

1. An air-supported pavilion comprising, in combination: a net; anchoring means to anchor said net to a ground support surface; an inflatable envelope of substantially air-impermeable sheet material to be urged against said net by pressure of air introduced into the interior of said envelope to maintain said pavilion in an erected state; passage means defining an entrance-way of predetermined height bounded by two lateral extremities of said passage defining means, edge portions of said envelope being rolled into a bead extending peripherally around said pavilion and being supported in part at said predetermined height by said passage defining means and in part at ground level by said ground support surface; and two blocking members each substantially closing a respective one of two gaps defined between each of said two lateral extremities and portions of said bead, which extend intermediate portions thereof supported by said ground support surface and by said passage defining means.
 2. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein each intermediate bead portion is supported on a respective one of said blocking members.
 3. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 2, wherein each blocking member is substantially triangular, the longest side of said blocking member being provided with a trough of substantially U-shaped cross-section adapted to receive a respective one of said intermediate bead portions of said envelope.
 4. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 3, wherein each said blocking member comprises a substantially triangular frame provided with a covering of said substantially air-impermeable sheet material.
 5. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein said passage defining means is provided at said predetermined height with a trough receiving said bead and being of substantially U-shaped cross-section.
 6. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 2, wherein each said blocking member when iewed in plan extends outwardly of said bead portion supported at said predetermined height and follows the natural path of the respective one of said intermediate bead portions towards the ground.
 7. An air-supported pavilion as defined in claim 1, wherein said bead is weighted to facilitate the closure of said envelope against the escape of air from the interior thereof. 